A Network-Based Approach to the Study of Neolithic Pottery Production in the Tavoliere (Apulia, Italy)

Summary

The Tavoliere has one of the densest concentrations of Neolithic settlement in Europe and is known for its wide repertoire of pottery styles. Using network analysis techniques, this study explores Neolithic pottery production in the region by integrating typological analysis with petrography and elemental characterization using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry. In doing so, we reveal sets of choices made at multiple stages of the production processes and in turn shed light on the cultural and socio-economic relationships that underpinned these communities of practice.

During the summers of 2013-2015, our team systematically surveyed 28 sites for cultural resources, which included the collection of ceramic and lithic finds from the surfaces of known Neolithic sites. We also collected 75 geological clay samples from major river valleys throughout the Tavoliere to distinguish possible sources of ancient raw materials.

Using these data, network analysis was undertaken to identify the strengths of inter-site relationships based on comparisons of the relative proportions of ware types and their corresponding geological sources. The results indicate that raw material procurement is patterned in different ways when compared with the distribution of ware types. Moreover, there are distinct differences in the distribution of the major ware types across space.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage